Entries by tag: art
It was amazing getting to saturate eyes and brain in these works again. Pictures I know well from reproductions that were not my faves have now become once-in-a-lifetime revelations. It all also took me back to the absolute Romanticism (hotly denied at the time! of my teenage years - when Tolkien was new and a revelation, and the Pre-Raphs were another expression of that mythic passion. It must be tough growing up in a world wi--well, not without that, but where you have to dig through the rubble to find it.
And then, there's Henry Wallis's "[The Death of] Chatterton."
Always a fave - but this time, I became fixed on the window above him - the distant cityscape, the crappy plaster & dirty old panes (so Riverside!), the beautifully-articulated rose in the pot . . . . I realized I Need That to be my new Facebook header image.
I will give you a Fine Reward, if you've got the time & inclination.
*I am eternally grateful to the Tate & the NG & all taxpayers everywhere who made this possible, as otherwise we were going to have to go to London in December between 2 other trips, or Delia would no longer be speaking to me. We both suspect that she was right and they kept a bunch back before loading the plane for DC - I mean, where was the Mysterious Newly-discovered Burne-Jones?? - but if she was, don't tell us; it's too late now.
The exhibit is up through May 17th, but this was the only time we could go before Passover and then Delia's incipient long-delayed bunion surgery. As I Tweeted on the train home: For the camels, no water all all.
It will all be fine - but there will be rather a lot of it.
Oh, look what I just found under the Tree! Um, a post KD drafted in October that we forgot to put up.....
Fortunately, it now doubles as a New Year's Gift to all.
It fits nicely over the Small Beer Press hardcover edition of TPOTS currently on big dog sale for $9.95 for all your DIY'ers). And Taline also says you're welcome to use bits of it for Icons if you like. (I like!!!) I adore ever square inch of it - it's like she reached inside my brain & plucked out the pictures!
Thanks again to the gifted Taline Boghosian for this amazing work, and to everyone who participated in the TPOTS Cover Contest, which we created to celebrate the TPOTS audiobook from Neil Gaiman Presents. I've really appreciated all your reviews & Likes on that page, too. I'm headed back into the studio this week to continue recording The Fall of the Kings, which should be out in spring.
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Attention all The Privilege of the Sword (aka TPOTS) fans! This is Ellen's assistant Katharine, here to present the final version of the winning design from our TPOTS Create Your Own Cover Contest.
Taline Boghosian’s superb and intricate design had many Riverside fans wishing for a dust jacket version of their very own. Taline has graciously obliged, adding a spine so that her cover will fit snugly over the hardcover edition of TPOTS and making the design available to download and print in two different versions, no less!)
If you don’t already have your own hardcover copy, you can buy one here to use with Taline’s cover (although the Small Beer Press cover is gorgeous as well—maybe trade them out for special occasions?)
Taline also gives her kin permission for everyone to se any part of the cover to make icons (as long as it's for personal use).
Congratulations again to Taline on her winning design, and many thanks for letting us use your amazing artwork!
This is Ellen’s assistant Katharine, back to announce the winner of our TPOTS Create Your Own Cover Contest, while Ellen nurses a head cold and gloats over all the art.
I’m glad to see that my rallying cry of “Lace! Leather! Silk and steel!” inspired so many of you to design your own covers for The Privilege of the Sword (aka TPOTS, which Ellen really does pronounce "teapots!") in honor of the release of the new audiobook, and I loved seeing the different covers that came in, from photos to drawings to digital collages. (You can see all the entries as links in the Comments section of the original Contest post here.)
Thank you to everyone who entered the contest for the time and hard work you put into your designs. Both Ellen and I were impressed by the high quality and originality of the entries, and judging so many excellent covers was no easy feat. That is why, in addition to our Grand Prize winner, Ellen has selected two second-place winners, whose art you can see below.
We are thrilled to announce that the Grand Prize winner of the TPOTS Create Your Own Cover contest is…
Taline Boghosian!
Ellen and I were blown away by Taline's exquisite design and thoughtful layout of the cover, which is for a hardcover with both front, back and side flaps. You can find more of Taline’s work here. In addition to receiving a limited edition copy of The Privilege of the Sword from Small Beer Press, Taline will have her art displayed on the official TPOTS Covers page. We'll announce it when the art goes up, so check back for that post!
And now for our two second-place winners, who will also receive a hardcover copy of The Privilege of the Sword. Well, one of them will, anyway—because one of our two winners, Elizabeth Evans-Gist (
underthewetmoon), was already, by chance, the winner of our "What's your favorite imaginary book?" contest and has a copy of TPOTS on the way!
Here's Liz's subtle and elegant cover:
Tied with Liz for second place, we have this terrific cover art and design from vaultedthewall:
We were especially impressed with the WIP posts she did as she worked on this cover; you can see them here on her Tumblr. She also managed to get all our favorite characters in.
Congratulations to our winners, and thank you again to everyone who entered!!! Even if you didn't win, you can still perfectly legitimately acquire your own limited edition copy of The Privilege of the Sword here (at a discounted rate) - and/or download the new TPOTS audiobook, narrated by Ellen herself (with a little help from the great Barbara Rosenblat & a cast that includes Felicia Day and Joe Hurley) from Neil Gaiman Presents.
We loved each and every entry, and all the enthusiasm everyone has so kindly shown over the launch of the TPOTS audiobook.
I think it's time to lock Ellen in a tower and make her write another novel, now, don't you?
She says she has to finish recording The Fall of the Kings first. But I dunno . . . .
To recap: Contest rules are here. --And all Entries are linked in the Comments section, for your viewing pleasure!
You don't have to draw your own art - like my hardcover publishers (Small Beer Press), you can use "found" art (the limited edition, cloth-bound, gold-stamped, sewn binding version which is also the Prize): theirs is a detail from 16th century French painter Francois Clouet's "Portrait of Charles IX."
Creative use of Dolls Divine is also on the table.
All of this is in support of the new audiobook of TPOTS, from Audible/Neil Gaiman Presents. I hope that you will at least listen to the sample 5:00 we have up here, one of our special "Illuminated" scenes, which includes Neil Gaiman as a decadent artist, and Felicia Day as Katherine. All narrated by me.
Please tell your friends about the contest - and if you've already listened to the book, reviews & review-votes are much appreciated.
Thanks! Have a great and creative weekend.
Lace! Leather! Silk and steel!
And, of course, Girls with Swords.
Thomas Canty's original painting for the new TPOTS audiobook represents only the latest design in a series of gorgeous covers for The Privilege of the Sword around the world since it was first published in 2006.
Whether it's high fantasy grace, gypsy punk cool, or stylized manga, all of the TPOTS covers convey the vibrant, complex spirit of Riverside and its denizens in their own distinct, creative way.
Now it's your chance to show us your vision of Katherine, the Mad Duke, and the world they inhabit - as it would appear on the cover of the next edition of the book!
That's right....
We want to see your art* and design for a The Privilege of the Sword cover!
Visit Ellen's website to see the existing TPOTS covers, including covers from the Dutch, German, and Spanish editions, then create one of your own, that you think is perfect for your own private or dream edition of The Privilege of the Sword.
Post your cover on Facebook, LiveJournal, DeviantArt, Tumblr or anywhere else we (and your friends!) can see them.
Then post a link to your entry in the comments below by 11:59 p.m. EST (U.S.A. Eastern Time) on Sunday, September 16.
Ellen will judge all entries herself. The winning entry (and runners-up) will be posted here and on the Covers webpage for all to ogle and enjoy.
THE GRAND PRIZE:
An elegant limited edition trade-cloth hardcover of The Privilege of the Sword, published by Small Beer Press!
So start drawing, painting, or otherwise creating, and spread the word to any artistically-inclined friends you know are just waiting for the chance to design a brilliant, beautiful sword fighting-inspired book cover. Thanks in advance for your entries—we can't wait to see your new TPOTS cover designs!
—Katharine Duckett
Assistant to EK
*ETA: It's OK if you don't draw it yourself; "found" art (like the hardcover publisher's detail from a 16th century French portrait, in fact! . . .or even creative use of Dolls Divine) is acceptable for an entry.
ETA: CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS! Thanks to everyone who entered such wonderful covers, all much loved.
This, by the way, is still Katharine Duckett, who will be updating in Ellen's stead while she roams the hills, dales, and graveyards of Maine. I'll keep you posted on the lastest TPOTS developments (including several upcoming contests--stay tuned!!!) and generally ensuring Ellen doesn't have to be online any more than absolutely necessary while on Retreat. (If you see her here, tell her to stay away until August! She'll thank you, I promise.)
You may be wondering how I ended up taking the reins of Ellen's LJ--or you may not, which makes me worry that you're somewhat disturbingly incurious, dear reader, and that I probably wouldn't leave you to watch my house for a weekend. Here's a brief rundown on my history in the world of speculative fiction and fantasy: While studying minotaurs and cannibals (no, but really, though) at Hampshire College, I interned for the fine folks at Small Beer Press, which involved drinking a lot of tea and combing through the slush pile, as well as working on great books like Liz Hand's Generation Loss and Poppy Z. Brite's Second Line.
After graduating, I interned for io9.com, where I compiled the monthly Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy and researched crucial topics like the height of giant robots and the social forces behind increased production of zombie movies. Then I traipsed off to do the Peace Corps in southern Kazakhstan, which, with its abandoned Soviet mining cities, massive trash pit fires, and packs of wild and occasionally rabid dogs, gave me all the material a writer of dystopian science fiction could ask for.
Now, in addition to my own writing, I work as Ellen & Delia's assistant, weeding the undergrowth of files and navigating the jungle of books at the Riverside apartment, promoting new books and projects like Welcome to Bordertown, and attending events with lots of lovely and interesting new people. As I write this, in fact, I'm sitting in Vagabond Café, which tonight will host NYC's monthly IAF Salon from 7 to 10 p.m. If you're in the city, come by, have a beer, see art, hear music, and say hello!
And huge, GIGANTIC thanks to my friend, the artist Thomas Canty, who did the original U.S. Swordspoint cover for the Arbor House Books hardcover - picked up by Tor - for letting us use it for the Swordspoint audiobook (which came out in November 2011 - and if I've pressed the right buttons, it's the Icon for this post!) . . . and then generously created a NEW image specially for the release of the TPOTS audiobook!
The book is scheduled for release the third week of July - I'll give you the exact date when it's confirmed.
And I'll be posting more thoughts - and some backstage gossip - about TPOTS Audiobook between now and then!
Michael York, Rutger Hauer & Charlotte Rampling . . . yes. Doing Breugel, oh yes.
( Charles Vess writes:Collapse )
Remember, the "I" here is Charles Vess, not me. Any questions, though, should be e-mailed to the library at the edress provided above.
Ah, the Sacred Text! I can't find it online either, which is annoying as I want to make everyone read it - but happily it was reprinted in Cynthia Heimel's collection GET YOUR TONGUE OUT OF MY MOUTH, I'M KISSING YOU GOODBYE. The essay, "How to Be Creative," opens: "Do you ever get to wondering why certain things are so *bad*? Why movies and TV and magazines don't ...make you sweat with enlightenment? Why everywhere around you people and things seem to be catering to some mythical consumer, some strange beast of a person who is exactly like you only completely stupid?"
And goes on to: "We live in a dark and fearful time, a time of polls and ratings and market research..." (which, I would add, is one reason we founded the Interstitial Arts Foundation - remember?)
But for our purposes here, the next best line is: "Everybody lives in fear. We all think we're incredibly weird and depraved and bonkers, and if people knew the real us they'd ...make us live in a Canadian mental institution....[but] it is that very weirdness, the eccentricities and forbidden lusts in our souls that bind us together....
"There is only one way to be creative, and that is to have the courage to examine all our inner ripples and horrors and jokes and transform them into art....
"You want to create, go out on a limb.... Don't listen to anybody, don't copy anything. Go after that twisted deranged core of your being, wrench it into the light, and you will make one million dollars."
THANK YOU, CYNTHIA HEIMEL!
And thank you, Terri, for the reminder.
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